In You I Live
by fickleminder
Summary: Henry and Jackson find comfort from their broken families in each other, but one dark Halloween night brings an unimaginable twist that will change their lives forever. Modern-Supernatural-ish AU. Hijack.


**Author's Note**: For the Hijack October Prompt – Halloween. The main plot is based on a film; you'll find out which one in the Author's Note at the end. I wanted to try my hand at writing something dark/scream-worthy, and after several attempts (many of which deteriorated into fluff and angst), here is the result. If it didn't work, go ahead and laugh. But if it did, please don't kill me.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or How to Train Your Dragon.

* * *

**In You I Live**

"Well, what do you think?"

Jackson spread his arms proudly and grinned at Henry, ignoring the way the smaller brunet's green eyes zeroed in on the ugly discoloring on the right side of his face. His father had a rough week at work and his mother had been drinking again, so it was a miracle he managed to escape the house that night with no more than a simple bruise.

Henry sighed in sympathy, but he smiled back and reached forward to tighten the knot keeping the tattered brown cloak over his best friend's shoulders. "I like your costume. Did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah, I spent a whole month working on it. And I went to the woods every day to look for the best sticks to build this!" Jackson explained, waving a makeshift shepherd's crook fashioned from branches and twigs held together by glue and string. Tilting his head, he frowned at the baggy clothes hanging off Henry's undernourished frame. It looked like his father had forgotten to feed him again. His job seemed to be the only thing on his mind after his wife's death. "What are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a Viking!" Henry declared with a huff, puffing his chest out. A paper hat with horns on either side sat on his head, and there was a detailed painting of a dragon on the circular piece of cardboard which served as a shield in his hand.

"You're pretty scrawny for a Viking," Jackson teased, chuckling at the pout he received. "But the look really suits you. And hey, I bet we'll get lots of candy this year!"

Grinning, Henry grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the first house down the road.

"Let's go! I heard Bunny's giving out his special chocolate eggs this time…"

* * *

They never made it to Bunny's house that night.

Halfway through their trick-or-treating, Henry and Jackson had been forced to abandon their spoils when the local bullies converged on them like ravenous sharks to wounded prey. They were chased along the streets and halfway across town, and they only managed to lose the older group of pre-teens after ducking into the forest for safety.

Exhausted, miserable and close to tears, they trudged through thick bushes with their torn costumes hanging off them, walking about aimlessly. Everyone knew that the forest was no place for two ten-year olds to be wandering around late at night, but when they started to make their way back to the main road, they came across a small house tucked away in a clearing.

"Hey, don't the Frosts live here?" Henry asked, poking at Jackson's arm to get his attention.

"You mean that old couple who never leave their house?"

"I've seen them around once or twice," Henry shook his head. "They don't come out very often, but it's not like I heard bad things about them or anything."

Jackson's face lit up with hope. "You think they'll give us some candy if we ask nicely?"

The opportunity to salvage what they could from their ruined night was too good to pass up, so Henry and Jackson found themselves eagerly pounding on the front door, rocking on their heels in anticipation as they waited for their calls to be answered.

There was the muffled sound of someone coughing harshly on the other side before the polished wood creaked open, revealing an elderly woman who looked at them with surprise. She smiled and made to greet them, but then her hand came up to cover her mouth and she turned away as her body was racked with another round of vicious coughing.

"I told you I'd take care of it. You should be resting," chided the older man who walked up behind her, rubbing gentle circles on her back and peering over her shoulder to look at their small guests.

"Um, trick or treat?" Jackson asked meekly, suddenly unsure if the greeting was appropriate. Apparently not, given the way Henry nudged him with a frown.

Mr. Frost glanced at them with worry. "Isn't it dangerous for you boys to be out in the woods this late?"

Henry shifted nervously and bowed his head. "We just wanted to see if we could get some candy before we went home. We uh, we lost ours," he explained, seeing Jackson sag dejectedly beside him.

Taking in their ripped clothes and muddy feet, Mrs. Frost sighed in understanding. "Let me guess. Alvin and that gang of his were playing pirates tonight?"

The children winced and nodded, and the old couple shared a look before smiling back at them. Mrs. Frost bent down to their level and grinned.

"How would you two like some hot chocolate and cookies?"

* * *

The police got the call at the stroke of midnight.

At first they thought it was some kind of elaborate Halloween prank gone wrong, but when an officer arrived at the house to investigate, he found two terrified children cowering in a corner and a pair of corpses lying on the sofa.

Soon enough, the place was filled with flashing lights and sirens, and amidst all the commotion, Henry and Jackson were carried outside to an ambulance where the paramedics checked them over for injuries. Fortunately, neither was physically hurt in any manner (Jackson claimed the bruise on his face had been from a mishap on the playground the other day), and after calming them down somewhat, one officer gently coaxed the story out of them.

It turned out that after Mr. and Mrs. Frost had given them a hot drink and some snacks, the four of them chatted amiably for a good while until Mr. Frost declared it was time for them to take their medicine. While he retrieved two syringes from a drawer, Mrs. Frost ushered the boys into the kitchen where she pushed a bowl of sweets towards them and told them to help themselves. The couple then retreated into the living room, and it was the unsettling silence that followed in the next hour that prompted the children to check up on their generous hosts, only to find their motionless bodies in each other's arms, resting in eternal sleep.

The evidence at the scene backed up the story and the case was swiftly closed. It was concluded that the couple had made a suicide pact and decided to show some hospitality to the children before carrying it out. Henry and Jackson had simply chosen the wrong night to visit them, and it was clear from the way they clutched at each other tightly that the experience had been traumatizing. They refused to let go of each other, even when they had been brought out of the house and left under the care of the paramedics.

An officer was elected to send the two exhausted boys home, and while his eyes were focused on the road ahead, he missed the twin expressions of glee that crossed their faces as they huddled together in the back seat.

* * *

"Jack, cut it out!"

"Why? Your freckles are adorable."

"That doesn't mean you have to try and eat them up, you horny bastard."

"Don't care. Love you."

Henry rolled his eyes as Jackson leaned forward to press another kiss onto his cheek, but the slight curl of his lips gave away how much he was secretly relishing the attention the other was giving him. He turned his head at the last second and their lips met, eliciting appreciative moans from both of them. When they broke apart for air, Jackson snagged the smaller boy by the waist and pulled him flush against his chest before burying his nose into auburn hair.

It had been a close call. They had waited too long this time, and Hiccup suspected that Jack's overt display of affection was not so much due to Hiccup's new look, but rather the fact that Jack had almost lost him for good. His body had been stricken with disease, and if not for Henry and Jackson knocking at their door when they did, Hiccup would likely have passed on within the month or so. Speaking of death…

"It's a pity about the boys," Henry remarked with a sigh. "I liked them."

"As much as I admire your sense of compassion, I'd still choose you over them anytime," Jackson murmured, tightening his grip on Henry. "Though, it was nice of you to put them to sleep painlessly."

"It was the least we could do. After all, they did give us another lifetime with each other."

Jackson smirked. "Glad to be a man again, Mrs. Frost?" he teased, earning a squeak and a half-hearted glare when he smacked the other brunet's backside suggestively.

"Watch it, Mr. Haddock," Henry shoved him playfully. "You may be lucky enough to get a boy with such a pretty face, but it's your turn to take my last name after we get married this time."

"Fair enough, though I think I'd look better with white hair, don't you agree? Maybe I'll dye it when I'm older."

"Such a rebel. What would the parents say?"

"Oh don't worry about me, I can take care of them," Jackson's eyes darkened with promise. "Just make sure to eat better and look after yourself. Swipe your old man's card for food or something."

"Throw in some contacts with that hair dye and we have a deal. I miss those blue eyes of yours already."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you Hiccup!" Grinning, Jackson ducked his head to peck Henry on the nose before nuzzling his neck. "I love you so much. Promise me we'll always have each other."

Henry smiled and nodded, sinking his fingers into brown locks to pull Jackson in for a deep kiss.

"I promise. We'll be together forever."

* * *

**Author's Note**: If you haven't already guessed it, this fic is based on The Skeleton Key. For those who are confused, here's what happened.

Hiccup and Jack are spirits who possess new hosts to stay alive. Their current ones are getting old and Hiccup is sick, so they have to find replacements before they die. When Henry and Jackson stumble upon their house, they inadvertently provide them with the new bodies they need, so Hiccup and Jack take them in and perform some ritual to swap their souls, leaving the children in their old bodies while they become young again. They normally kill their victims afterwards, but since they are dealing with children this time, they do it painlessly as a small act of mercy and put them to sleep via drug overdose, making it look like a suicide.

So when everyone sees Henry and Jackson get together in their teenage years, it's not really them.

Happy Halloween.


End file.
